A New Year: Fervent

The New Year brings up all these
reflections about our lives and what we would like to change. I’m not usually
one to make resolutions for the New Year, but these past couple of months I
have begun to notice something that I really need to integrate more into my
life. And I’m sure I’m not the only one. Usually the term resolution seems to
imply an end goal in most people’s minds. My “resolution” doesn’t have an end
goal per say, but is a want and need for growth.

Prayer.

The Bible repeatedly talks about
the importance of prayer, and I find myself constantly approaching prayer in a
way that does not fully line up with the way it is described in the Bible. The
passion, reverence, and consistency that we are meant to have in prayer is not
always present in my life.

So, with that being said my
resolution for 2019 is to be more reverent and intentional in prayer. Our
connection to Him and our feeling of His presence is so closely tied to prayer.
Prayer is a conversation with God and it makes our faith in Him personal.
Making it a deeper relationship.

Prayer brings us closer to Him,
because He hears our earnest prayers.

So, I encourage you to join me in
this resolution to make prayer a priority. Not something that has to be checked
off a to do list, but an essential part of my everyday life.

Ephesians 6:18 (NIV) says “pray in
the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this
in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.”

Pray with a deep connection to Him
at all times. In times of joy. In times of suffering. In times of sadness. In
time of excitement. In times of stress. In times of anxiety. In times of anger.
Pray in different ways. In a way of thanks. In a way of questioning. In a way
of petition. Be alert in prayer, not
just as if you are checking off something on your list of things to do. Pray for
His people, fervently, never-ending. His people, including, those whom it may
be hard to love at times.

I wanted to start off this year
with a few recommendation posts for 2019 that will be coming after this in the
month of January. So, be on the lookout for these posts that are coming soon.